National Burns Awareness Day

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust in partnership with The Children's Burns Trust, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue and Lincolnshire County Council to raise awareness of how to avoid burns and the pain and disfigurement they cause. 

This is part of National Burns Awareness Day, which takes place on October 19. 

Paul Fuller, Chief Fire Officer at Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Children's Burns Trust Chair of Trustee, said: "A shocking number of people suffer accidental burns each and every day. Over 7,000 children were admitted to hospital in 2015 with burn injuries, many with scalds. Three quarters of them were under the age of 5." 

According to the Internation Burns Database, 5,195 children under the age of 5 were so badly burnt that they had to be admitted to a specialist burns service - this is more than 14 toddlers per day. 

In order to protect children from burns and scalds, we need to recognise that everyday things such as running baths, leaving hair straightners or saucepans unattended and even having a cuppa, can be a potential danger for children.

• Always keep hot drinks away from children. Babies skin is 15 times thinner than an older child or adult, and as a result a drunk that has been standing for 15 minutes will still scald a child.
• Never hold a baby and a hot drink at the same time and never pass a hot drink over a baby's head
• Heated hair appliances stay hot for up to half an hour after use and can still cause a significant burn. A burn or scald at a young age could require years of repeated surgery as the child grows because scarred tissue does not grow with them.  
• When you run a bath, put cold water in first, then top up with hote water and never leave babies or young children alone in the bath. Cover any low level pipes with insulating material if you can, in case children fall against them. 
• It is important to make sure you have a secure fire guard around a fire or heater and keep all matches, lighters and candles out of reach of children. 
• Remember that heated appliances - whether irons or hair straighteners as stated above, will retain their heat after you've used them. Your child could be burned if they touch them, even if they have been unplugged for over half an hour. 
• Keep cooking pans at the back of the stove with handles turned inwards to prevent children pulling them down onto themselves. 
• Kettles and appliances should have a short curly flex and be kept at the back of the worktop.
• Ensure children are supervised especially in the kitchen and bathroom. While it's easy to be distracted by mobile phones, put phones aside when children need your attention or during potenitally stressful times such as mealtime and bathtimes.